Thane civic body takes action, starts razing illegal structures

Waking up after 75 people lost their lives, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) began demolition of illegal structures.

Waking up after 75 people lost their lives, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) began demolition of illegal structures.

Additional municipal commissioner Shyam Sunder Patil said demolition of two adjoining buildings - a six-storey and a seven-storey building - had started. The municipal demolition squad first removed shanties and a godown in Lucky Compound.

The TMC pressed into service seven earthmovers, 12 dumpers and 160 personnel to carry out the work. The action is a classic case of authorities waking up to a grave problem after the death of citizens.

The incident in Shil-Phata exposed the vicious nexus behind hundreds of illegal structures built in Mumbra, Kausa and Shil areas of Thane.

Residents and activists said their repeated appeals to the TMC against illegal constructions on Lucky compound fell on deaf ears.

Santosh Bhoir, a local activist, had sent letters to the TMC at every level of the building construction since the day the work started.

"I had drafted the first letter on February 7 when the ground floor construction started. I had pointed out that low quality construction material was being used and a mishap was feared," Bhoir said.

His second letter was on March 18 when two floors of the building were completed and the third letter was on March 30 when all the seven floors were completed.

Bhoir said no action was taken at any of these stages.

Mangal Patil, another activist, said he too had regularly corresponded with the TMC over hundreds of illegal constructions coming up in ward no 64 which also includes Shil area.

Sandeep Malvi, TMC's PRO, said: "We are checking the records to see why the complaints went unattended or what action was taken after these complaints. However, time and again, we have been taking action against illegal constructions in this area."